(Photo above: Winning one more Olympic selection is all that it takes to secure a automatic U.S. Olympic nomination. Photo: Walter)
Dew Tour Breckenridge is in the books, and although no athletes have qualified for the 2018 U.S. Olympic freeskiing team yet, the picture is starting to become a little clearer.
Up to three men and three women in each discipline can earn spots on the team through automatic qualification. Any remaining spots will be distributed at the discretion of the coaches.
The selection criteria is tough, as athletes need a minimum of two top-three finishes in order to be eligible for an automatic nomination. A ranking list based on each skier’s top two results will be used as a tiebreaker if more than three athletes in any given discipline hit that criteria.
The remaining selection events will all take place in January. Here’s a look at where things stand moving forward.
Men’s Freeski Halfpipe (after 3 of 5 qualifiers)
1. Torin Yater-Wallace, 150*
2. David Wise, 132*
3. Aaron Blunck, 130*
4. Alex Ferreira, 122*
5. Gus Kenworthy, 104*
6. Taylor Seaton, 92*
7. Birk Irving, 60
8. Hunter Hess, 46
9. Kyle Smaine, 45
10. Jacob Beebe, 36
*Has one top-three result.
Dew Tour Review: Alex Ferreira and Aaron Blunck boosted their Olympic hopes by finishing on the podium at Dew Tour. There are now six U.S. men who have earned a top-three result so far, but none that have hit the two results needed for automatic nomination.
Looking Forward: David Wise, Torin Yater-Wallace and Alex Ferreira have each won a selection event. Earning a second victory would grant any of them an automatic nomination to the team. Aside from those three, Aaron Blunck, Gus Kenworthy and Taylor Seaton also have a top-three result. Getting a second podium finish could boost the Olympic hopes of all the aforementioned skiers, even without a victory.
Women’s Freeski Halfpipe (after 3 of 5 qualifiers)
1. Maddie Bowman, 140**
2. Devin Logan, 130*
3. Annalisa Drew, 95
4. Brita Sigourney, 90
5. Carly Margulies, 72
6. Abigale Hansen, 44
7. Jeanee Crane-Mauzy, 43
8. Svea Irving, 36
9. Allison Welsh, 35
10. Anna Gorham, 24
*Has one top-three result.
**Has fulfilled minimum criteria of two top-three results.
Dew Tour Review: Maddie Bowman finished third at Dew Tour, giving her a second top-three result. That makes her eligible to be nominated to the Olympic team, even though she has not mathematically confirmed her spot yet.
Looking Forward: Maddie Bowman’s nomination to the U.S. Olympic team should get confirmed at one of the two qualifiers still to come. Devin Logan would be in good shape for one of the other spots if she gets a second podium finish. Annalisa Drew, Brita Sigourney and Carly Margulies have been the other top U.S. women in the field but don’t have a top-three result to show for it yet. With only two events left, those three skiers will need to finish in the on the podium at both contests, otherwise it will likely come down to discretionary selections from the coaches.
Men’s Freeski Slopestyle (after 1 of 5 qualifiers)
1. Nick Goepper, 80*
2. Alex Hall, 45
3. Gus Kenworthy, 40
4. Bobby Brown, 32
5. Cody LaPlante, 29
6. Colby Stevenson, 24
7. McRae Williams, 22
8. Noah Wallace, 16
9. Willie Borm, 15
10. Ethan Swadburg, 13
*Has one top-three result.
Dew Tour Review: Nick Goepper was the only U.S. skier to reach the podium in Breckenridge, giving him an early edge in Olympic selection. McRae Williams, one of the top U.S. skiers last year, crashed on his first run during the final and was not able to finish the competition, putting him behind the eight ball as qualifying gets underway.
Looking Forward: With four selection events left, all spots on the team are still wide open. If Nick Goepper wins any of the remaining events though, then he would be in great shape to secure a nomination.
Women’s Freeski Slopestyle (after 2 of 5 qualifiers)
1. Maggie Voisin, 150*
2. Devin Logan, 82
3. Darian Stevens, 81
4. Taylor Lundquist, 52
5. Nadia Gonzales, 28
6. Rell Harwood, 26
7. Marin Hamill, 23
8. Julia Krass, 22
9. Keri Herman, 22
10. Grace Henderson, 18
*Has one top-three result.
Dew Tour Review: Maggie Voisin finished fourth in Breckenridge, which was the top U.S. result. She fell one spot shy of getting a second podium finish, which would have made her eligible for an automatic nomination.
Looking Forward: Maggie Voisin has been the most consistent performer among the U.S. women and appears to be on track for a nomination to the Olympic team. The other spots on the team are completely up for grabs, but Devin Logan and Darian Stevens currently have the edge over their teammates based on their results so far.
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